Veneer-making machine for the manufacture of toothpicks.



R. woonsum. VENEER MAKING MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF TOO T HPICKS. APPLICATION FILED AUG.30, l9l5.

'1,2%3,9Q9., Patented 00. 23, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

s'ras r nr GERALD noenns woonsUM, or OAKLAND, -1VIAI1\TE. i

VENEER-MAKING MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE or cpoomnrroks.

To all whom it may concern:

Be'it lmown that I, GERALD Roenns WoonsUM, a citizen of the United States, and

resident of Oakland, in the county of Kennebec and State of Maine, have invented new and useful Improvements in Veneer- Making Machines for the Manufacture of Toothpicks, of which the following is specification.

This invention has reference particularly to improvements in machines for forming from a log of wood, veneer or thin strips, adapted to be cut or sliced transversely-to form toothpicks.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a machine of this character which is adapted, during one operation thereof, to form a number of strips of veneer, each strip being made up of one or more divisions, and each division in transverse section corresponding in shape and size to a side elevation of a finished toothpick. Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description. The invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and operation 'ofthe strip-forming cutters, and in such other novel features of construction and operation of parts as shall hereinafter be described and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings,-- 7 Figure 1 represents a plan view of a portion of a machine embodying my invention, with a log placed in operative position thereon, represented by dotted lines;

Fig. 2 represents a front view of the same with the log removed and a part of one spindle broken away;

Fig. 3 represents an enlarged sectional view on the plane 33 of Fig. 2, with parts broken away and a log placed in operative position;

Fig. 4 represents a detail sectional new of a portion of Fig. 3, illustrating the operation of the cutting instrumentalities;

Fig. 5 represents a sectional view of a detail on the plane 5-5 of Fig. 2, between the gouges; and

Fig. 6 represents a view in perspective of a portion of a thin strip cut from a log by the machine.

The machine is provided with the usual form of base 10, spindle-supporting standards 11, horizontal spindles 12, 12, which Specification of Letters Patent;

through the slidable blocks 14 and 15, respectlvely. Connecting the slidable blocks 14 and15, I provide the beam 16 secured to or made integral with said blocks.

Patented Oct. as, raw.

Application filed August 30,1915. Seria11\1'o.48,076. if

. to and feed screws 13, which are threaded Adjustably secured to theinner face of I if said beam by the bolts 17 and 18 is the skiving blade 19 having'the straight horizontal cutting edge 20. Preferably, the latter is approximately in the same horizontal plane as the center line of the spindles 12.

Above the beam 16 is the gouge-carrying beam 22, supported by trunnions 23', one on each end, engaging corresponding sockets in the blocks 14 and 15. Said beam may be rocked on its trunnions for the purpose of adjusting its cutters simultaneously and so regulating the depth of cut. The-beam 22 is also provided with a series of sockets 25, adapted to receive the gouges 26, and so disposed as to bring the cutting edges ofthe latter approximately into the'p osition represented inFig. 4, in relation to the cutting edge of the blade 20. Said gouges have a flattened V-shaped cutting edge, and'are a'djustably secured in their sockets by the bolts 27 and'28' (Fig. i 1 7 -Above the beam 22 is the beam 30, carrying the guiding bar and knife blades. Beam 30 is supported by trunnions 31, one on each end, engaging corresponding Sockets in the blocks 14 and 15." The guiding bar 32 extends'substantially the length of the beam- The preferred shape in cross section of the inner end .34 of the latter is shown in Figs.

4 and 5. In slots in and near the top of the latter beam are sustained a series of knives 35. The latter are adjustably secured in said slots by the bolts 36 threaded into said beam.

The slidable blocks 14 and 15 and the beams 16, 22 and 30 comprise the feed carriage 37 of the cutter head. The drawings show the preferred relative arrangement of the guiding bar 32, the cutting instrumentalities 20, 26 and 35, and the beams 16, 22 and 30.

In the operation of the machine, the log L is rotated in the direction of the arrows, and

the carriage 37 is fed forward in the usual manner. The relative speed of the rotation of the log and the travel of said carriage may be regulated to cause the skiving blade 19, which has the proper inclination, to skive or pare thin strips of veneer from the log, corresponding to the thickness of the toothpicks to be made therefrom. It will be observed that the strip severing knives 35, operate slightly in advance of the skivingblade 20,

and that the number of them and the distance apart at which they are set, determine respectively the number and width of the strips. The gouges 26 are so placed thatthe distances between their centers correspond to the length which it is desired to make the toothpicks. Therefore, the operation of said gouges will cut grooves g in the strips S (Fig. 6), and the distances between the center lines of said grooves will be the-length of the toothpicks. The severing knives 35 are preferably set to follow the center line of every third groove 9, so as to divide the veneer into strips each of a width correspond ing to the length of three toothpicks, The pressure bar 32 prevents vibration and the consequent variation in thickness of the strips and also gages the thickness of the strips, guides the waste 8' cut out by the gouges into the space between the beams 22 and 30, and guides the body of the veneer strips into the space between the beams 16 and 22. The bar 30 also affords a support and guard to prevent the wood from splitting in the log in advance of the cutters. It will be noted that the skiving blade, the gouges and the pressure bar are arranged close together and substantially in the same axial plane, whereby the pressure bar performs the double function of regulating and preventing variation in the thickness of both the waste cut by the gouges and the veneer cut by the skiving blade, and whereby, as the stock is used and becomes smaller in size, all of the elements maintain substantially the same radial and circumferential relation to the stock. The skiving blade and gouges being spaced apart byonly the thickness of the veneer, a simple means of mainverse section to the thickness and shape of a side view of three toothpicks placed end to end. Thestrips are then cut up into individual toothpicks in any suitable manner.

I claim: 1 1

1. A machine for forming veneer for the manufacture of toothpicks, comprising means for rotating the stock, a skiving blade,

a series of broad gouges spaced from said blade by the thickness of the veneer to form a series of shallow grooves inthe outer face of the veneer, the cutting edges of said blade and gouges being in substantially the same radial plane, and a pressure bar bearing on the stock over said cutting edges, thereby preventing vibration of said blade and said gouges and preventing variation in thickness of the veneer and waste cut by said blade and said gouges respectively.

2. A machine for forming veneer for the manufacture of toothpicks, comprising means for rotating the stock, a skiving blade, a series of broad gouges, a series of severing knives, a support-for said severing knives, and a pressure barcarrie d by said support, the operative edges of said blade, gouge and bar being substantially in the same radial plane, thereby preventing vibration of said blade and said gougesand preventing variation in thickness of the veneer and waste cut by said blade and said gouges respectively.

Signed by me at Oakland, Maine, this twenty-sixth day of August, 1915.

GERALD ROGERS VVOODSUM.

\Vitnesses:

NATHANIEL B. l/VoonsUM, WILLIAM I. HncnMAN.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the commissioner of Eatents, Washington, D. 0-. 

